A few weeks ago I did two blog posts talking about amazing books that lived up to the hype and disappointing books that didn’t. I was planning on doing a blog post that goes along with those two where I would talk about books that deserve a lot of hype, but are unfortunately very underrated. However when I saw that that was exactly a prompt for a future Top Ten Tuesday, I decided to wait and do it then. So here we are today! I’m really excited to share the books on my list because people seriously need to have these books in their lives. Some of these books are really underrated, while others were talked about during their release but have since disappeared from the face of the earth.
Underrated Books That Deserve More Hype
1. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavander by Leslye Walton
Much like the title says, this book is a strange and beautiful story about Ava Lavander, a girl born with wings. Ava’s wings are more of a curse than blessing since her unusual disposition prevents her from fitting in with her peers and makes her the focus of a man’s escalating obsession. It’s a breathtaking tale that tackles family, desire, and the ugly truth of wasted youth. Even though it’s magical realism, it unravels truths about human nature in a devastating and bittersweet way. It’s a quick but powerful book so you have no excuse to not pick it up!
2. A List of Cages by Robin Roe
When former foster brothers Adam and Julian reunite after years apart, Adam is ecstatic until he realises Julian is keeping dark secrets about what goes on inside his uncle’s house. Secrets that could cost both boys their life. This book has an amazing group of friends and the sweetest brotherly relationship I’ve read about. Make sure to prepare your tissues though because it is such a fast-paced read that you don’t realise you’re crying until a good chunk of the page is wet and you’re having a hard time reading the words through the film of tears. This book handles really difficult and heartbreaking topics and was very hard to read at times, but it’s such an incredible read.
3. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Although Matthew Quick is famous for The Silver Lining’s Playbook, this book deserves as much hype. This book is the strangest mix of depressing, funny and hopeful. And that’s one of the reasons why it’s amazing; it’s wholly unique. Leonard Peacock plans to kill himself and his former best friend on his birthday, but not before saying goodbye to the only four people that matter to him. Leonard Peacock is such a vibrant and peculiar teenager, but most of it feels like a facade he puts on in order to hide the loneliness and neglect that eats him up on the inside. While there are a lot of funny moments, they are paralleled with very depressing undertones that build up through the book as more backstory into Leonard Peacock’s life is revealed. I’m gonna tear up if I keep thinking about it, so just please do yourself a favour and read it.
4. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Spring Break gone wrong…very wrong. It follows a group of friends as they take a trip to Aruba only to have one of their friends brutally murdered and two of them accused of the crime. When I hear people talking about YA thrillers I rarely see this book mentioned which is such a shame because it’s such a mind fuck. The ending left me shocked and staring at my ceiling for what felt like hours. Besides the main reveal, the book is satisfying as a whole as it tackles the psychology of female friendship, the slippery nature of truth and the hardships of young love. While I read it in one sitting, the ending has stuck with me for a long time.
5. On the Island by Tracey Gravis Graves
Survival story of a 30 year old tutor and her student as they crash land on a deserted island after the pilot of their seaplane en route to the Maldives suffers a heart attack. Your classic story of survival and love, it really is a quick and easy read perfect for summer. I love how complete the story arc is, as it follows the characters before, during and after the crash and gives a very satisfactory ending with an epilogue. The progress of time is very realistic and the character growth are really well done. Having to hunt your own food and survive violent tropical storms does make you mature faster, I should think. Pick it up before summer ends!
6. Elefant by Martin Suter
This is a story of a tiny glow-in-the-dark pink elephant. Seriously. For Schoch, an alcoholic who has taken to living on the streets after a bitter divorce, the tiny pink elephant is a symbol of hope and second chances. While taking care of the tiny pink elephant he names Sabu, Schoch comes to realise he should give life another shot. The book is a morality tale that tackles a lot of controversial topics like genetic engineering, alcoholism, homelessness, faith and others. You should definitely give it a try if you’re looking for something different and unique to read!
7. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Story of a web designer who gets a job at a little odd bookstore, where nothing is quite what it seems. Clay Jannon embarks on a journey to uncover the meaning behind the shop’s existence and the mysterious codes written inside certain books. It’s a very quirky and internet savvy book that packs a big punch in less than 300 pages. If you love books about books, where you can learn a thing or two about coding while reading something that is uplifting, this book is for you!
8. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
A funny, enlightening and heart-warming story about a girl named Audrey who suffers from severe social anxiety. She has such bad social anxiety that she can’t speak to anyone outside her family and wears dark glasses 24/7 to avoid eye contact. The book follows Audrey as she takes small steps in order to overcome her anxiety and the friends and family that help her along on her journey. Her character was so likeable and real that I easily began to cheer her on from the comfort of my bed. Things that may seem easy to us, like walking into a Starbucks, are terrifying for her. Although she stumbles a bit on the way, Audrey grows tremendously over the course of this short book. Her story is very uplifting and is a good pick me up if you’re in a slump!
9. Angelfall by Susan Ee
Epic and dark YA urban fantasy about an angel apocalypse with a kick-ass female heroine and witty banter between the characters. I feel like there was a lot of hype around this trilogy when it was releasing but I rarely see it nowadays. However, everyone that has read it can vouch for how amazing and unique this book is. It is seriously an addictive page-turner!
10. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Another case where there was a lot of hype when these books were coming out, but hardly anyone talks about them anymore. Which is such a shame because this book is a whole lot of betrayal, mystery and romance, which is a perfect mix for a YA fantasy. The book is centred around the concept of the “winner’s curse”, which basically states that the winner of an auction has also lost, because he/she has won by paying more than what the majority of other bidders think the item is worth. If that intrigues you, as it should, give it a try.
I wonder how many times I’ve said the word “unique” in this post lol, but honestly all these books are and I wish they got the recognition they deserve.
Have you read any of the books I mentioned? If not, are you intrigued by any of them? What are some of your favourite books that you think are seriously underrated? Let’s chat in the comments ♥
If you did this week’s prompt, feel free to link it!
I agree, Angelfall deserves so much more love! I feel like I hardly see anyone talk about it anymore, but it’s such a good one. Also I just added The Winner’s Curse to my TBR yesterday so I’m excited to see it on this list 🙂 Great Post, Mara!!
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Yesss, glad we agree on how awesome Angelfall is!! It definitely deserves more hype!
And yay, I really hope you enjoy The Winner’s Curse, I still haven’t read the last book so I’m probably going to have to reread it sometimes soon too 😀
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Great list! Angelfall is one that I really want to pick up soon. I have it on my kindle but I keep forgetting I have it!
— Destiny @ Howling Libraries:
T10T: Scared of the Hype!
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Thanks!! I hope you enjoy Angelfall as much as I did once you get around to it!😊
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Thank you! ❤
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I’ve heard really good things about ” THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVANDER,” and think “Finding Audrey” looks really cuute! Also, I *still* haven’t read “The Winner’s Curse.” But it is high on my must read list! 🙂
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Those books really are so so good, so I hope you can get to them all eventually and enjoy them as much as I did! But I totally get that there are just too many books and not enough time!😄
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A List Of Cages is DEFINITELY in need of more hype. I think it’s an incredible book!
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Yesss, it’s so so so amazing and I feel like a lot of people would enjoy it if it was more known!
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Oh my gosh Dangerous Girls was a trip. On the Island makes me want to be on a Caribbean beach I think with that lovely water. 🙂 And I agree about Mr. Penumbra’s- that was a good one!!
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Glad you agree! Dangerous Girls definitely was a trip haha, I really have to check out the author’s other book Dangerous Boys soon!!😊
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Angelfall has loooong been in my TBR list, as well as The Winner’s Curse and Ava Lavender! Great list, Mara!
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Thanks!! Hopefully you’ll enjoy those books as much as I did when you get to them😊
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Angelfall and A List of Cages sounds interesting. I’ve heard of a couple of these books, but you’re right, people don’t talk about them much.
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They’re definitely underrated for how amazing they actually are!
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I LOVE your list!!! A LIST OF CAGES was one of my faves of the year it was published. It pretty much destroyed me. As did FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK. I was really looking forward to the movie being made, but then it went and got canceled 😦 DANGEROUS GIRLS is probably the one book that I consistently buy for people as a gift. Anyone in my life who I think might read a book someday gets DANGEROUS GIRLS because it’s SOOOO GOOD!!
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Honestly all those books destroyed me in their own way, they really were amazing!!
I had no idea Leonard Peacock was supposed to be a movie, that sucks it got cancelled I would have loved to see the story it on screen!
Haha, that’s really smart I should probably start giving people books for their birthday too until they agree read it 😀
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okay WOW I LOVE THIS!!
a list of cages, forgive me leonard peacock, and dangerous girls were all favourites since FOREVER and they really dont get enough hype so seeing you talk about them is SO HEART EYES
excellent post!
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Haha yesss those books deserve so much love and I’m so sad they don’t get as much hype!! I’ve read A List of Cages and Dangerous Girls this year and they both became immediate favourites of mine! Glad to see you agree on how awesome those books are😄
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I read List of cages (good), Angelfall (disappointing) and Ava Lavander (discovered I am not a fan of Magic realism). I am planning to read the winners curse and I think you have pretty good choices!
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Oh sucks that you didn’t like Angelfall and Ava Lavander as much! Glad to see you enjoyed A List Of Cages though and hopefully the same will be true for The Winner’s Curse!
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hope so too
thanks 😀
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I definitely agree with A List of Cages. That was a beautiful, but heartbreaking book!
A lot of these I still want to read!
Here are my hidden gems: https://thebookdutchesses.com/2018/09/11/ttt-44-hidden-gems/
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Yesss it’s heartbreaking but beautiful at the same time, really wish more people knew about it so I could gush about it more!
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I’ve heard so many good things about Sophie Kinsella, but I’ve never read her. Should fix that soon! Also, Angelfall has been on my TBR for some time now.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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I haven’t read any of her popular books but Finding Audrey was her first venture in YA and it really did not disappoint! Highly recommend it😊
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Finding Audrey is, I think, one of the few Sophie Kinsella books I haven’t read yet! I recently read Dangerous Girls and loved it!
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I haven’t read Sophie Kinsella’s other popular books but Finding Audrey was her first venture into YA and it really did not disappoint!
And yay, I’m glad you enjoy Dangerous Girls, it’s one of my favourites from this year😊
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I love Dangerous Girls, though it has pretty much ruined all YA thrillers I’ve read since, because none of them have been able to shock me as much after that ending!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/top-ten-tuesday-176/
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Yesss that’s so true, I feel like all other YA thrillers just pale in comparison! I really need to read the author’s other book, Dangerous Boys, and see if it’s equally as good or maybe better!😊
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They really do! I didn’t like Dangerous Boys quite as much as Dangerous Girls, but it was still pretty good!
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I love how all the book covers are stunning! Angelfall is a title I’ve been meaning to pick up but have, unfortunately, not gotten to yet.
Amazing list!
* TTT: Hidden Gems + giveaway 🌻🌻🌻
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Yess they really are!😍 Hopefully you can get to it sometime soon because I’m sure you’ll love it, but I totally get that there are just too many books, and not enough time!!
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Great list! A List of Cages also made my list this week, as it is such a heartbreaking yet beautiful book so many more people should read. Dangerous Girls is currently on my TBR, so now I am even more excited about it reading it 🙂
My TTT
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Yay, glad we both agree that A List of Cages deserves all the love and hype!! I know so many people would love it if it was just a bit more known😊
And I hope you enjoy Dangerous Girls, it definitely ruined all other YA thrillers for me!
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I’ve seen a lot of the Walton book today. It sounds like a good read.
Oh, I totally agree with you on Angelfall. I loved the first book. The final book, not so much though.
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It really is, I’m glad it’s appearing on a few lists his week so more people can know about it!😊
I’ve actually yet to read the final book so I have to reread the first two sometimes soon but I have heard the ending is not that great, which is a big shame!
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Hopefully, you aren’t to disappointed in the ending as I was.
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I need to read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender – I’ve grown to love magical realism books, so I’m sure I’ll be a fan!
My TTT post!
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Yesss, if you already love magical realism you’ll definitely enjoy Ava Lavender I should think! 😊
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I love Mr. Penumbra ❤ I have The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender on my goodreads tbr. I love magical realism
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Yess, Mr. Penumbra is such a cool book! And if you love magical realism I don’t doubt you’ll love Ava Lavander when you get around to it!😊
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We must have similar taste in books, because as I read your list, I kept thinking “YES! That’s a great book for this list!” I’ve read the first three plus Finding Audrey and Angelfall, and I loved them all. So clearly I should add the other five to my TBR! 🙂
Here’s my TTT
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Yay, I’m glad we share a lot of similar reading tastes! And yess, if you love those five I’m sure you’ll enjoy the rest too! 😀
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YES to Ava Lavender! That’s one of my favorite books ever. A List of Cages is on my TBR list.
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Yess, Ava Lavender is amazing it deserves so much hype! I have a feeling you’ll enjoy A List of Cages since they have a bit of a similar vibe!
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I’ve been interested in A List of Cages and Finding Audrey, so I’m glad to hear that you liked them! I’ll have to check out the rest. Thanks for the recommendations!
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Oh I’m so glad you found some new books to read, hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I did! 🙂
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A ton of these are on my (long long long) TBR, but I haven’t read any of them – glad to have them back on my radar!
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Yay, glad you got reminded of some of the books on your tbr! There’s just too many books sometimes to remember them all!
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The Winner’s Curse is so good!! Ava Lavender was on my list too! Such a great book!
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Yesss, both are such amazing books that deserve all the hype!
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Great list this week, Ava is one of my all time favourite books. It broke me a little.
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Yess Ava broke me a little (more like a lot) too! I really have to reread it sometime soon it’s been so long!
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What a great list! I just checked out The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavander from my library, so it’s almost like fate that it was number one on this list! And Angelfall has been on my TBR list for a long time, but my library doesn’t have it :(((((( (intense frowny face).
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Yayayay, hoping you’ll love Ava Lavender as much as I did! And aw that sucks, fingers crossed your library suddenly realises the amazingness of Angefall and order copies of it asap!!
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I haven’t read any of these, but I just recently bought the entire Pendyn series, so I should be reading Angelfall soonish? I’m excited about that. I’ve heard such good things about it!
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Yay I’m so exited for you to read it and hear your thoughts, hopefully you’ll love it as much as I did! 😀
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I loved penryn and end of the days trilogy! It’s one of my favorites. I haven’t read the winner’s trilogy yet but it’s on my binge list. I’m planning to read it before the end of this year.
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Yess, it really is amazing!! And hopefully you’ll enjoy The Winner’s trilogy, it’s so underrated and even though I haven’t read the last book yet the first two were incredible!
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Seconding “Dangerous Girls”!!! I loved that book so much omg
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Yess, all other YA thrillers just pale in comparison!! I really need to read the author’s other book, Dangerous Boys, hopefully it’s just as good!
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Mr Penumbra is awesome! Glad to see it on your list. 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
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Yes it is!! I don’t see it mentioned a lot so I’m glad you agree 😀
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OH YES, I definitelyyyy agree with Dangerous Girls and The Winner’s Curse! The former was so intense and thrilling, while still keeping a certain charm to it? Definitely one of my favorites ever. And The Winner’s Curse was a fantastic read, but there wasn’t really hype for the sequels, which is probably why no one talks about it anymore? Speaking of which, I really need to finish this series! Have you read all three books? 💕
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Yay, I’m so glad you agree!! Dangerous Girls seriously took me by surprise and now no other YA thriller compares to it! I have heard amazing things about a new YA thriller, Sadie, so I’m hoping that one is maybe just as good 😀
Yess, I feel like the hype around The Winner’s trilogy died down after the release of the first book which is such a shame! I’ve yet to read the final book, I’m way overdo for a reread! I have to find some time to revisit the series but it’s always a struggle when there’s just too many books and not enough time haha!
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I really enjoyed reading The Winner’s Curse and I agree with you that it’s a shame that no one mentions them anymore! I also loved Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore! I’m intrigued by A List of Cages and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. Great post!
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Yess, it’s such a shame, I really think The Winner’s Curse is worth a lot more hype and praise! I’ve yet to read the final book but I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it! Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore is such a quirky and unique book, more people need to know about it!
Yay, I’m glad you maybe found some new books to add to your TBR, they’re definitely worth the read! 💕
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The concept of the winner’s curse was what got me interested in reading Rutkoski’s book, too! I know the book was hyped when it first came out, but it is kind of sad to see that hype completely die down years later. I would love to reread the first and second books so that I can wrap up the trilogy and read the third book. Great picks, Mara! 😊
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